Writes Arrivals and Departures - https://arrivalsanddepartures.substack.com/ I like the poems & 100-word stories.
2024-08-04 The Shoe - Reflections of a difficult marriage
- https://arrivalsanddepartures.substack.com/p/the-shoe
- The poem uses the metaphor of a shoe to represent marriage.
- Begins with optimism - new shiny shoe.
- With time, the ill-fitting shoe becomes uncomfortable, causes pain, leaves marks.
- But the wife refuses to accept the issues, blames others and thinks continuing to wear the shoe is the only option.
- To cope, she adapts her gait, modifies herself (shaving off her skin). She enjoys occasional moments of freedom when she goes barefoot but maintains that she is content with wearing the shoe.
- Thought-provoking and sad. Could apply to other relationships also. I guess if someone meets a full-of-life individual a few years after their marriage and if they seem like their confidence is broken and light is snuffed out of them, it is probably due to their marriage even though they might vehemently deny it and be proud of being married.
2024-07-26 - Samaroo - 100-word story
- https://arrivalsanddepartures.substack.com/p/samaroo
- A naive villager comes to work for the author’s mother. He is not even able to bring water to the guests when asked. He initially brings glasses, then when the lady of the home asks for water in a tray, he pours water into the tray. Reminded me of suppandi.
- His fame spreads as a stupid person (probably). But he has the last laugh when he elopes with girl-servant next door. I guess one should not write off anybody.
Jun 2024 - Maya - sci-fi story
- Maya, The Beginning - https://arrivalsanddepartures.substack.com/p/maya-the-beginning
- Wonderful story, Reena. Great set up. Engaging and thought-provoking. Enjoyed reading it. Looking forward to reading the other parts. I probably have to read this again and grasp a few more things about this world before starting on the next.
- Maya, The Middle - https://arrivalsanddepartures.substack.com/p/maya-the-middle
- Brilliant follow up to the story’s first part. Even if everyone tells him to “let.it.go”, I guess Rams cannot. One of the most under-recognized issue with life is how someone’s words could twist our minds. Once you hear the wrong gossip or when someone puts an idea into your mind, it is not easy to get away from it, especially when it comes to opinion of someone’s character. It grows uncontrolled in the mind, taking over sleep and moments of quiet. I’m reminded of this quote from Inception - “The most resilient parasite is an idea … Once an idea has taken hold of the brain it’s almost impossible to eradicate.”
- Looking forward to reading the next part. A lot of things to ponder about - much like Black mirror - the unintentional side effects of technology and unbridled optimism.
- Maya, The End - https://arrivalsanddepartures.substack.com/p/maya-the-end
- Hi Reena, the finale was powerful and deeply moving. I felt sad for Raman only because I’m a techno-optimist, hoping for a utopian future as technology evolves. I was hoping till the end that Maya turns out to be Maya (illusion) and a CF. I wanted Raman’s gut feeling to be validated. But I guess gut feelings can be wrong if you’ve blocked out a part of you as a result of childhood trauma.
- The twist in the tale of Dr. Roshan being Maya’s sister was so unexpected and made me want to read the story from the beginning again. Even if you’re estranged for long, family always has your back when things go wrong!
- The last line packed a lot of punch - “Then he’d have to find his way home—to Maya, to his real family, and to the Raman he’d lost a long time ago!” Unforgettable.
- Thanks for writing and sharing. Great work.